In September of 2005 on the first day of school, a high school teacher in Little Rock did something that should not be forgotten. On the first day of school, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the first-period kids entered the room, there were no desks.
“Where are our desks?” asked her students.
Her reply was, “You cannot have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.”
They thought, “Maybe it’s our grades or our behavior.”
As the day wore on and no correct answer was given, television news crews started to report about this crazy teacher who removed the desks from her classroom.
The final period arrived with students still sitting on the floor. The teacher stated that no one had given a correct answer to her question. She was now about to tell them. At this point, she opened the classroom door.
Twenty-seven U.S. veterans, all in uniforms, walked into the classroom, each carrying a desk. The vets began placing the desks in rows, and then walked over and stood along the wall. As the last soldier placed his desk in order, those students started to understand, perhaps for the first time, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.
They had not earned the right to sit at those desks. These heroes did it for them. They placed the desks here for them; now it was up to them to sit in them. It became their responsibility to learn, to be good students, and to be good citizens.
These heroes paid the price so all students could have the freedom to get an education. We must never forget their sacrifices.
We may no longer be students, but we, often without much notice, are the daily recipients of countless purchased freedoms dutifully and heroically given to us by our veterans. One day a year is not enough to honor, with our respect and sincere gratitude, these man and women who have bequeathed to us our freedom.
Veterans Day should and must be a 365, 24/7, year-round celebration and reverent realization of perpetual thanksgiving for the service rendered by these brave men and women of our armed forces of bygone days.
We proudly salute each one! Let freedom ring! God bless America and all who have protected and are protecting her.
— Elton Slusser
